Despite already winning 20 Grand Slam titles, Roger Federer still has the hunger for more major success.
The tennis icon might well be approaching his 40th birthday this year, but the Swiss star is certainly still worth considering in the outright betting markets for the remaining Grand Slams events of 2021.
Overcoming Injury
Federer has been out on the sidelines for over a year after undergoing arthroscopic surgery last February on his right knee. The veteran, who is at 15/2 in the betting on tennis with Betfair to win Wimbledon this year, was then forced to go under the knife again last June.
The good news for those considering backing Federer in the outright markets is that the 39-year-old now says he is “injury and pain-free”. Now the Basel-born star is already back on court after appearing at the Qatar Open, and he will hope to remain injury-free for the remainder of the year.
Wimbledon a Major Target
Federer has stated that he hopes to be back “100%” fit by the time Wimbledon begins at the end of June, and says “that’s when the season starts for me”. That indicates the eight-time Wimbledon champion, who has to be selective with the tournaments he now enters, does not expect to be fully fit at the French Open. Once again it looks like the ‘King Of Clay’ Rafael Nadal will be the man to beat in Paris, while world number one Novak Djokovic will also be heavily backed in the outright betting market.
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Wimbledon has been a happy hunting ground for Federer over the years, but his last title there came back in 2017 with victory over the Croatian Marin Cilic in the final. Federer was beaten in the 2019 final at SW19 at the hands of Djokovic, who once again is the favourite to win the competition at the All-England Club this year. If Federer can get back to the fitness he feels he can achieve, then there is little doubt he can reach the business end of the tournament.
Federer Focused on Own Game
Since Federer has been out on the sidelines, rival Nadal managed to go level with the Swiss on 20 Grand Slam titles, while Djokovic beat his record for most weeks at number one in the world rankings. The Serbian was also able to move on to 18 Grand Slam titles, after securing victory at the first major event of 2021 at the Australian Open.
Despite the achievements of his rivals, Federer is adamant his focus has been on his own game and getting back to his best at this stage of his career. Federer says his original target was to match the great Pete Sampras’ Grand Slam record (15) when he started out, and now feels he might be the benchmark for both Nadal and Djokovic.
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Tennis fans will be hoping Federer can work his way back to the form that can see him compete in the Grand Slam events this year. He will certainly have plenty of backers in the betting when Wimbledon and the US Open roll around later this year.